


The Mind-Reader and The Super-Soldier

by sortakate



Series: The Mind-Reader Chronicles [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, X-Men (Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers vs X-men, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Crossover, F/M, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-12-06
Packaged: 2018-04-30 04:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5150387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sortakate/pseuds/sortakate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Claire might be the only person on this planet who could actually understand Steve Rogers and not just because she's a mind-reader. This is the story of how Steve came to love the little mind-reader who looked just a little bit like his lost friend Bucky Barnes. (Takes place during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and will follow the events afterward. This story is slightly AU because it involves the X-Men and the Avengers living in harmony and Charles Xavier having an adoptive, mind-reading daughter).</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> Hello friends! This is my first Captain America fanfiction, so please be nice, I guess? Anyway, this story is basically: what would happen if there was a mind-reader involved in the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier and what if Steve fell in love with said mind-reader. The story will follow pretty closely to the events of TWS and even account for the events of the Avengers: AOU, but after that the story will stray from canon, mostly because I don't know the events of the Civil War movie (I read the comic book, don't fret) and I have an idea for my character that exists outside of their canon story. Anyway, hope you like it, I will try to update semi-regularly. This will be the first part in a collection, detailing the events of TWS, there will be sequel that takes place post-AOU, and there will be one-shots in between and after.

She was good. Not like Natasha or Maria Hill good, but still good. She wasn’t as agile or physically strong, but she did have one major advantage over them: her mind. Trained under Charles Xavier at this school, she learned how to control her abilities. She could hear other people’s thoughts, even better than Xavier. The only drawback was that she could always hear other people’s thoughts. It was like standing in a crowded room with everyone talking all at once. When her powers first arose at age 8, they were simple, one mind at a time, no struggle. But then, during some freak accident she can’t remember, her powers grew stronger and in turn worse. The professor found her abandoned on the streets by her coward of a father. He took her to his school upstate and tried to help her calm the voices. No matter how much he tried, how much he trained her, the voices still bombarded her mind, causing physical pain. After 3 days of intense pain in her skull and never ending nose-bleeds, the professor and some of his colleagues developed a device that could silence all the voices but the ones she actually wanted to hear. The device fit like hearing aides in her ears. With this she got better and was actually able to be a kid again.

She spent the next ten years of her life with Xavier, learning to control her powers and also learning like a normal student. Eventually she started to work at the school too, with other telekinetic kids and helped them to center and control their powers. No other student was ever quite as strong as she was at reading minds. Most kids needed a lot of training to control the voices and to hear them at great distances. Her hearing of other voices went for miles, 100 miles being the longest record so far. Because of this she was exceptionally good at keeping track of people, of finding students who were known to wander. The professor loved having her around.

It was only a matter of time before Nick Fury called and offered her a job at SHIELD. Xavier was the one who urged her to take it. She had grown quite attached to her job as a teacher and mentor/adoptive father, but did want to see more of the world than upstate New York. So she packed her bags and headed to DC. The professor was sad to see her go, his dearest daughter Claire.

Nick was very impressed with her. She was polite, had a good work ethic, and she was very, very good at her job. She could know exactly what the enemy was thinking and what they were going to do even before they had the chance to do it. Obviously things weren’t foolproof though. She could keep tabs on SHIELD’s greatest enemies, but she wasn’t a fortune teller. She couldn’t predict the actions of people she didn’t watch. But Nick still loved having her around. She was much cheaper than having to send Hawkeye or Black Widow to check on certain people. She was especially good to have around when Dr. Banner hulked out and they couldn’t seem to locate him without anyone having to get too close. She had grown so attuned to his thoughts she could pick him out easily.

Nick set her up with a nice place while she worked for him. A really nice apartment protected by an undercover SHIELD agent and oh yeah, a super-soldier. After “The Great Unfreeze” and the events in new York, Captain America moved to DC and effectively lived one floor above he. He was known to have some very noisy thoughts. She didn’t mean to spy on him or hear his occasional crying session, but she still heard. He thought about his friend Bucky a lot. The friend he lost. The forgotten soldier buried in the snow. Steve dreamed about a train a lot. And he dreamed about losing Bucky every time. Sometimes Bucky would speak to him, but mostly he would just scream. And then Cap would wake with a jolt, soaked with sweat and gripping the streets. She could only hear his dreams when she would pass out with her still clicked to “on”, which was significantly often. After work, her mind was usually so exhausted that the minute she stepped in the door of her apartment she headed straight for bed.

She had only heard his voice outside of his thoughts a handful of times. Mostly when they passed each other in the lobby at work or on the stairs in their apartment complex. But usually, they kept their distance. She knew what he thought when he looked at her.

“Jesus, even she looks like him,” he would think as he passed by her. It was mostly true. She did look a little bit like his lost friend. She had the same dark hair and the same blue/gray eyes. She was tall, too and of course he liked that. She didn’t come across as a damsel in distress like most girls seemed to Steve these days. She held her head up high when she walked and mostly kept to herself. Steve couldn’t figure out how deaf she was though. He noticed the hearing aides when she wore her hair up in a ponytail one time. She didn’t speak like she had been deaf from birth and she didn’t stare at people’s lips when they talked like Clint did. She never acted like she was straining to hear what someone said. And he could’ve sworn he saw her wearing normal ear plugs one time, like the world was actually too loud. Eventually he asked Clint about it.

“Do you ever go out without your hearing aide?” Steve asked between punches in their sparring match.

“Uh, sometimes,” he huffed, sweat dripping from his temples, “It can be nice to not have to hear how noisy the city is.”

“But, can you talk to a person without them?”

“I’ve gotten really good at reading lips, so sometimes. But, it’s more comfortable for me to leave them in if I’m talking to people. Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” Steve brushed and went to knock Clint’s gloved hand.

“Uh-uh buddy, I think there is a reason. Is it a girl?” Clint quirked his eyebrow and smile suspiciously at Steve.

“What? No,” Steve lied and continued to punch the gloves.

“Oh no way man, there totally is. I can feel it,” Clint laughed.

“Fine. It’s a girl. She lives in my building and I see her occasionally, but it’s not like that. She just interests me because she doesn’t seem, normal deaf, I don’t know how to put it,” Steve shrugged.

“Normal deaf? Isn’t that kind of offensive?”

“I don’t mean it like that,” Steve huffed.

“You think she’s faking it?” Clint asked.

“Maybe? I don’t know why she would,” Steve said.

“Me neither. Deaf people don’t get nearly as much sympathy as blind people. Look at that Daredevil guy, I bet he has tons of girls dying at the chance to guide him around. If it was sympathy and date she was after, she shoulda put on some sunglasses and got herself a cane,” Clint joked.

“Yeah,” Steve silently agreed.

So he dropped it for awhile. Didn’t bring up the potentially faking-deaf girl to Clint. But Clint of course did not forget. He asked Natasha about her and of course Natasha eventually looked up all of the tenants in the Captain’s apartment complex and handed Clint a manila envelope full of her information. Clint thumbed through her information carefully, reading about her time with Xavier and her employment with Fury. But her medical records portion was blank. No mention of being deaf and no mention of why she wore the hearing aides. He brought her up to Steve again during one of their training sessions.

“How’s the potentially not deaf chick?” He smirked in between squats. Steve only rolled his eyes at him.

“She’s fine. Haven’t seen her around much, been too busy.”

“Right,” Clint remarked, and then continued on, “You wanna do something tonight, man? Like beers and pizza maybe? Because our friendship does exist past the limit of missions and this gym.”

“Yeah, alright. Sounds good. I’ll be home around 6. I’ll supply beer because I’m assuming you’re very particular about pizza.”

“Damn straight,” Clint laughed, “I’ll see you 6, then.”

 

Of course Clint was late. Thirty minutes late with 2 pepperoni and mushrooms, the heat of the boxes slowly singeing the skin on his forearm. He saw her downstairs, knowing from her work schedule a la Natasha that should be getting home right around 6:30. He knew immediately that she was most definitely not deaf. But what wasn’t obvious was why she was wearing the aids in the first place. He carefully timed his steps and his actions to end up on the same elevator ride us as her.

“Hey, you work for SHIELD, right?” He asked bluntly as soon as the elevator doors shut,

“Oh, uh, yes,” she smiled, “You’re Clint Barton, right? Hawkeye? I’ve seen you around a few times.”

This got Clint smiling, “Why yes I am. Listen, I’m just about to have some pizza and beers with the Cap, did you wanna join us? We’ve got plenty of extra pizza.”

“Uh,” she hesitated. She had been looking forward to going home, putting her silent earbuds in and sleeping until Monday morning. But something felt right about going with Clint. Plus, her friend had been giving her a bunch of shit about not going out and seeing other people enough, so she figured why not. Especially if Captain America was going to be there. “Sure. I’d love to.”

Clint smiled back widely at her, “Awesome.” And then they both got off at Cap’s floor and she followed him to his door.

When they knocked on the door it opened almost immediately with a very grumpy, very tight shirt-wearing Cap in the doorway, “Ugh, it’s about damn time, I was so hungry I-,” he griped and then immediately snapped his mouth shut when he saw her.

“Sorry man, there was a huge line at the pizza place. Anyway, hope you don’t mind I invited your neighbor to dinner with us. Did you know she also works with us at SHIELD? Such a small world,” Clint said with a shit-eating grin. He was enjoying watching the Captain squirm way too much. Steve was visibly uncomfortable by the presence of the neighbor he had sort of been obsessing over recently.

“No, I did not,” Steve said almost between his teeth. And then he remembered his manners, “Please come in.”

She followed closely behind Clint into the Captain’s apartment that looked like something out of time. All of the fixtures looked like they belonged in an old folks home. The furniture and the decorations were all artifacts of the forties. It shouldn’t have surprised as much as it did.  

“Kitchen’s this way,” Steve motioned and they followed him.

“You got a rooftop in this place?” Clint asked, digging in the fridge for the 6-pack of beer Steve had just bought on his way home.

“Uh, yeah, no one really goes up there though...” Steve trailed.

“Perfect, let’s go up there,” Clint said, grabbing the beers and waiting for Steve to grab the pizzas. Claire just stood quietly watching them and hearing the thoughts running through their heads. The Captain was obviously flustered and his thoughts matched. She knew that he had been thinking of her a lot, she knew that he thought she looked like his lost friend. She also knew that he was suspicious of her hearing aides. She wanted to tell him, she did, but she was afraid that if she knew about her mind-reading he might feel horribly embarrassed.

“Alright,” Steve finally agreed and the three of them went to the elevator up to the roof.

It wasn’t nearly as awkward as Claire thought it would be. Once the boys got some pizza and beer into them, the conversation flowed easily between everyone. And it was only a matter of time until Clint had enough beers and got brave enough to finally ask Claire. She saw it coming. Well, heard it coming.

“So, are you actually deaf, Claire? Because Steve and I have been debating over it for the past month,” Clint blurted and Steve’s blood began to practically boil with embarrassment.

“Claire, please, you don’t have to answer that. And please excuse my dear idiot friend for being so blunt,” Steve apologized.

“It’s fine, I knew it would come up eventually.”

“Aha! So you’re not deaf?” Clint howled, slapping his knee.

“No, I’m not,” Claire grimaced.

“So, why wear them?” Steve asked carefully.

“Well, they actually do serve a person. It’s true, I can hear perfectly fine, maybe, uh, a little too fine? I, um,” Claire stuttered, she was extremely nervous for their reactions.

“I can read minds. Like, everyone’s within 100 miles. But, it’s too intense for me, so I was given these devices to help block out most of the thoughts,” she explained.

“Shit,” she heard both of them say. There minds were racing, Steve’s faster than Clint’s buzzed one.

“So you can hear our thoughts?” Clint finally asked.

“Yep.”

“All the time?” Steve asked and Claire stiffened.

“Yes,” Clint was already over the embarrassment as he reached for his 5th slice of pizza, but Steve was still bothered.

“I’m sorry,” Claire started, “I try to not listen when I know it’s very personal. And I do have the ability to turn them off and I do that as frequently as I can.”

“Claire, it’s fine, it’s not your fault,” Steve said but she still felt bad.

“Wait, tell us more, how does it work? How did you get this ability?” Clint asked through a mouthful of pizza.

“Um, when I was 8 I noticed my powers. Charles Xavier, my adoptive father, said that I was what he called a Mutant. When I was 10, something happened, I can’t quite remember, but the voices suddenly got really loud and I couldn’t tune any of them out. It was awful, it felt like my head was going to explode and eventually I just blacked out. Next thing I know I wake up in upstate New York in Xavier’s office with no memory of how I got there.”

“Where did you live before then?” Steve asked.

“With my real father. He was a scientist. I asked Xavier about him many times but he said that he just couldn’t take care of me anymore. Xavier was a wonderful father to me after that,” Claire sniffed.

“And your mother?”

“We presume she’s dead.”

“I’m sorry,” Clint and Steve both said.

“It’s fine, guys. It’s in the past now. Plus, the time I spent with Xavier was better than any time I spent with my father.”

“You mentioned that something happened that worsened your powers, but you have no memory of it?” Steve asked incredulously.

“Yeah, none at all. One day I could just hear thoughts when I wanted to and then the next I could hear everyone’s and I couldn’t turn it off,” Claire explained.

“And it causes you physical pain?” Clint asked.

“Yeah, I can’t not wear my devices for more than a few seconds at a time or else,” Claire explained, thinking about the terrible crushing pain in her head she gets when her aides get knocked out or she takes them out to clean them.

Interesting. I wonder if she showers with them on… Clint thought.

“Yes. They’re waterproof,” she answered.

“Shit. That is creeeeepy,” Clint swore.

“Sorry. It’s rare that I am able to just respond to people’s thoughts,” she smiled shyly.

“Right,” Clint agreed, “Well, I better get out of here before the Cap tries to get me more drunk.”

“Um, I did not force you to have 4 beers?” Steve said questioningly to which Clint only laughed.

“I will see you guys later then,” he said and headed towards the elevator. Perfect, now that I’m gone, maybe Steve will grow some balls and get some.

“You know exactly why he left,” Steve said blandly.

“Yeahhhh,” Claire drew.

“Guess nothing is really a secret anymore,” Steve sighed.

“That’s not true! I can switch aides if it would make you more comfortable,” Claire suggested.

“No, it’s fine. Maybe it’ll be easier this way,” Steve said and then they were both quiet for a beat.

“You know about him, don’t you?” Steve asked her, Bucky flashing across his thoughts.

“Yes,” she answered simply. “He haunts you, doesn’t he?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright. If every other part of my body can heal, that eventually will too,” Steve remarked, moving his position, leaning against the wall, overlooking the city and wringing his hands.

“That’s a very positive way of thinking about it,” Claire remarked and matched his posture. They sat like that for a while, his thoughts bouncing around and she responded to them whenever he wanted her too. And then, right as the sun was setting and the light caught her eyes at the right angle, he kissed her. His first kiss since the 40’s, her first since she left Xavier’s school. They kissed for a few minutes, until their breath came out in pants and the sky had grown dark. And like the gentleman he was, he walked her to her door, placed one more gentle kiss on her reddened lips, and then left. 


	2. The Storm That Brews

Steve didn’t see Claire much after that night. They were both just too busy. He was on mission after mission, running dangerously on empty. And Fury had her watching more people than ever before, leaving with her migraines so bad that when she went home she was dead to the world. So they only saw each other in lobbies and elevators, making gentle small talk. And then it happened.

She was exhausted mentally and physically. She had just come back from a tactical training session with her new BFF Clint Barton, who had taken it on himself personally to make sure she knew how to fight. On top of that, she had been extending her range and listening to more thoughts than ever, keep more tabs than she thought was physically possible. So she came home that day from work, snapped her blinds shut, took OTC painkillers that would only tickle at the pain in her head, and headed straight for bed. Her shoes were barely off, her numb fingers fidgeting with the off switch on her hearing aides when she heard something bizarre.

Pain, pain, pain. Someone was in pain. And close by. She scanned the thoughts of the residence around her apartment until she landed on the one right above her. Director Fury she recognized. He was holding his arm limply against his chest as he sat in an arm chair waiting for Steve to get home. She had to do something, warn Steve, help Fury, something. So she begrudgingly put her shoes back on, left her hearing aides on, and headed up the stairs. She rounded the corner when she picked up two voices.

Sharon Carter was holding a basket of fake laundry in her hand talking to Steve. Claire didn’t necessarily mind Sharon, she had the best intentions, she might have even liked her, except for mild obsession with Steve’s body. That was the worst part about her powers, hearing those embarrassing thoughts.

“Do you- uh, maybe wanna get a cup of coffee some time?” He asked, chiding himself for fumbling over his words. Claire was slightly offended then she heard the turmoil of his thoughts. Apparently Natasha had been giving him a lot of shit about not going on any dates and Steve, being Steve, wanted to make everyone happy. He thought about asking Claire, he really did, but it was too hard for him, she looked too much like his him. Looking at Claire just hurt. So to satiate Natasha, he went for Sharon, bubbly, blond, if not boring, Sharon. Too bad Steve didn’t know how not boring Sharon actually was. Steve had no idea that Sharon was an undercover agent, but Claire definitely did. She felt bad too, like she was somehow keeping this knowledge from Steve. But she was afraid to tell him, afraid of how he would react to the idea of someone constantly watching him to make sure he doesn’t have the Captain America version of “hulking out.” Fury also begged Claire to keep quiet. About a lot of things actually.

Just then Sharon rejected him (Fury would kill her for trying to date her mission), Steve felt nothing but relief and then turned to go inside. Claire then moved from her position hiding behind the corner to go to him, to warn him, when Sharon ran into her.

“Claire! Hey! How are you doing?” Her voice was irritatingly kind.

“I’m fine, how are you, Sharon?” Claire responded as politely as she could manage. There was too much going on for her to have to waste time making small talk.

“I’m doing great. Hey, we should have another girl’s night, you, me, a bottle of wine, and a collection of Channing Tatum movies?” Sharon giggled. Sometimes she was girlier than Claire could even imagine. Claire knew that Sharon didn’t actually care too much for Channing Tatum, or chick flicks, she just wanted an excuse to have Claire over. Ever since they met Sharon has had a slight obsession with Claire. A spy meeting a mind reader, the possibilities were endless. And to be perfectly honest, Claire didn’t actually mind the attention, or the friendship. Since she left Xavier’s school she hadn’t made many friends, she was simply too busy. It didn’t bother her that much, she enjoyed the solitude from people most of the time. If Claire was going to have any girl friends in DC, at least it got to be Sharon.

“Yes, we should. I’ve been kind of busy at work recently, but what about next Friday?” Claire suggested but later planned on cancelling.

“Perfect! Friday works for me! I’ll see you then!” She said and then started to walk away and Claire pressed on towards Steve’s apartment.

“Oh wait, Claire!” Sharon called and Claire immediately whipped around. She was stalling. Sharon was extremely curious about why Claire was going to Steve’s apartment, but she didn’t want to give it away. “White or red?” She asked, her teeth sparkling. Claire gritted her teeth. She didn’t like wine, it gave her a migraine.

“White,” Claire finally smiled and then turned back to Steve’s apartment. Sharon was not satisfied, she planned on calling SHIELD to report that Claire was trying to interfere with Steve. Claire knew she had to act fact so she threw his door open and was greeted by two shocked face.

Steve was tense. Fury in his house. In his chair. Trying to convince him of something. And when Claire bursted through the door he was so on edge he was surprised he didn’t attack her. Instead, himself and Fury gaped at her for a moment before returning to their conversation. Claire politely joined them and waited for the moment to speak.

“Steve, you’ve met Claire before, correct?” Fury asked and then met Claire’s eyes, his brain pouring over the events from the afternoon, the car accident, the man with the painted eyes. Claire had to stabilize herself against the back of the couch as the images flooded her mind.

“Yes, we’ve met,” Steve said and his thoughts floated to that night on the rooftop.

“Good. Now listen carefully, you can trust Claire, she’s special, she’s the best person for this j-” And then Fury was cut off by the loud sound of bullets penetrating the air and piercing through his torso. Steve acted quickly, throwing himself and his shield in front of Claire, who only looked at him with distant eyes.

She picked up his thoughts only seconds before he shot Fury. His thoughts were a hurricane of violence and blood, every thought was tinged with red. It shocked her to her core.

“Are you okay?” Steve asked, his hands flitting around her face, checking for injury.

“I’m fine,” Claire choked out and then raised her frantic eyes to the assassin outside the window. Steve’s eyes followed the path of hers and saw him too. And then they both heard the door crash open and Sharon’s voice fill the room.

“Captain?” Sharon shouted and then Nick Fury’s body on the ground. She immediately went to him, assessing his wounds and calling for backup. Her eyes were on Steve as he slipped into action, grabbing his shield and heading towards the shooter.

“Tell them I’m in pursuit,” he said and headed through the window.

“Steve, no!” Claire hissed and ran after him. Except there was no way she would be able to jump through the window like he could so she flew out of his apartment and up the stairs.

She made it to roof just in time to see Steve throw his shield and for the shooter to catch it. She was still a building away from him, so she booked it to the edge and prepared to jump. It was only a few feet, 4 at the most, easily manageable. But terrifying. Definitely terrifying. But Steve was in trouble, he couldn’t hear the violent, merciless thoughts of the masked shooter, she had to help him, protect him, save him, whatever it took. So she got a running start and mustered all of her courage to leap across and landed ungracefully on her hands. As soon as she stood up the assassin noticed her and made his leave, throwing Steve’s shield back to him and leaving. Steve moved to pursue but was interrupted by Claire’s voice.

“Steve, no!” Claire shouted, winded from her chase, “Don’t. Don’t go after him, it’s not safe.”

“He tried to kill the director,” Steve said, moving closer to Claire, an argument forming in his thoughts.

“I know, but please, not now, it’s not safe, he’s too dangerous,” Claire begged, tears pricking her eyes.

“I don’t think that’s your call to make.”

“Please trust me on this, Steve,” Claire said, her face falling.

“So when?”

“Later. Right now we have to make sure Fury is okay,” she said and then it was Bucky all over again. Bucky protecting him from bullies. Bucky pulling him out fights. Bucky and Claire were the same person. Steve couldn’t tell where Bucky ended and where Claire began, it was blur, the two of them morphed into one. Steve couldn’t take it, emotion bubbled up inside of him and his brain was starting to hurt.

“Come on, Steve. It’ll be okay,” Claire said quietly, offering Steve a hand. He took it because it seemed like the only piece of reality to keep his mind from slipping out of time.

………

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! This story is also posted on fanfic.net. Also, to those of you who are wondering about Bucky's role in this and Steve's sexuality: do not fret, all will be addressed in time.


	3. A Complication

 

Claire felt out of place. She was tucked into the corner while Natasha, Steve, and Maria Hill watched Fury’s operation. It felt like such a private moment and she was merely a pest. She turned her hearing aides off before they got into the room, she knew everyone’s thoughts would be too reflective and personal for them to want her to hear. But having the voices off was just as uncomfortable as having them on. Sure, the migraine slowly started to seep away and her body felt a little stronger, but it was uncomfortable not being able to hear people’s thoughts. Mind-reading had become like a 6th sense for her, relying on it even more than her actual hearing. Without it she felt useless.

“I’ll find him Natasha,” Steve vowed, the USB in his pocket was burning. He needed answers. Why was Claire involved? Why had Fury insisted that Claire was the only person he could trust? And who was that man on the roof? Steve wanted to ask Claire, but he was still frightened by how quickly she had shown up in his apartment and how she managed to calm him down on the roof. So he would settle for going to SHIELD for a few answers.

“I’ll be back,” Steve said and stalked out the door, Claire on his heels.

“Why did Fury say I could trust you? How much do you know?” Steve asked her, his voice not the warm kind one she was used to. This wasn’t Steve anymore. It was Captain America.

“I don’t know! I’ve been helping Fury watch a few people recently with plans to compromise SHIELD but nothing ever came up, everyone was either out of my range or blocking my powers, we’re not really sure how,” Claire explained, her pulse quickening.

“You’re coming with me to SHIELD then,” Steve said, placing a hand on her arm and leading him to the parking garage with his bike. He handed her the only helmet he had and waited for her to get on the back of the bike. She didn’t understand why he was so upset, it’s not like he was Nick’s biggest fan. She wanted to turn her ears back on but she was too busy holding on for dear life as Steve weaved through the streets towards SHIELD.

 

…

Claire waited patiently outside Pierce’s office while Steve spoke with him. Of course she could hear the whole conversation, but only from Steve’s side. For some reason, she couldn’t hear any of Pierce’s thoughts, whenever she tried it was just silence. This wasn’t the first time this had happened to her. The first time being her encounter with Magneto, one of Professor X’s old friend-turned-enemy, who wore a dark helmet that blocked her from hearing any of his thoughts. She was young when it happened, only 10, had barely even been with the professor that long.

Years ago…

Charles had many friends that Claire had come to know. Besides the typical cast of friends who lived in the mansion with them, he had other friends who would come from all over the world to have a cup of tea with him. Charles introduced each one of them to Claire, fondly referring to her as his daughter when they would glance at her. So when Charles came to Claire one late summer evening with the news of a guest, she wasn’t surprised.

“My dearest Claire, I have a special guest coming over later this evening. He is one of my oldest friends, but he isn’t like us,” the professor said.

“Isn’t like us? He is not a mutant?” A young Claire asked.

“No dear, he is a mutant, but he doesn’t have quite the same beliefs as we do,” the professor explained and flashes of their tumultuous friendship flashed across his mind and effectively across Claire’s.

“How can you still call him your friend after everything he has done?” Claire asked, appalled.

“Claire, I know you can see what he has done to me, but you will never be able to feel how I feel about him,” the professor sighed.

“No, I won’t. How could you forgive him? For taking your legs from you? From taking Raven?” Claire asked, feeling a bit naive.

“Because I knew what he had gone through, I knew him. It is very hard to explain, maybe you can understand better when you meet him.”

“I will try to be open-minded professor,” Claire promised.

“I know you will,” the professor smiled brightly at her.

Magneto came through a separate door into the professor’s wing of the mansion because Charles didn’t want to alarm anyone with Erik’s presence. They greeted each other with warm smiles and a handshake.

“It’s been too long old friend,” Magneto said warmly.

“It has,” the professor agreed.

“What has prompted such a reunion?” Magneto asked calmly while taking a seat in front of Charles.

“I wanted to speak with you about a few things. But first, I wanted you to meet someone very special to me,” the professor said, gesturing to a fragile Claire who had hidden herself behind the professor. Magneto was shocked to see the little dark-haired girl behind Charles.

“A new mutant? This isn’t exactly exciting news, Charles,” Magneto laughed cruelly.

“You have misunderstood Erik, this is Claire, my adopted daughter. She is a mutant like us, a mind-reader actually.”

“Where did you find her?” Magneto asked calmly.

“That’s why I have asked you here, I was hoping that maybe you would have some insight on that. But we can talk about it later. Claire, please introduce yourself,” Charles said and Claire timidly stepped forward.

“Hello dear,” Erik said, a hand extended for her to shake. Claire stared at his hand and then narrowed her eyes at his helmet. She couldn’t hear his thoughts and it felt foreign to her.

“Ah, you’re trying to read my mind. Well, I’m afraid that while I wear this, you will be unable to hear my thoughts,” Erik smiled which only made Claire stare harder.

“My dear Claire, his helmet was one of the main pieces of inspiration for your aides,” Charles said to her.

“Really?” She asked delicately.

“Yes, you see, his helmet keeps my mind out, and your aides keep other minds out. His helmet is special, it’s protection, just like your aides.”

“Aides?” Erik asked puzzled.

“Yes, Erik, my dear Claire is very special. She is a very powerful mind-reader, more powerful than myself, perhaps a little too powerful. When we first found her she could hear every mind for miles away. It caused her a tremendous amount of pain, but we created a device that helped filter out all but one mind at a time, using the technology of your helmet,” Charles explained.

“Fascinating. We truly do have a lot to talk about,” Erik said pensively. The evening went on much like that, questions asked and various people answering. Mostly Charles and Erik spoke, but occasionally Claire chimed in. Overall, it was an evening Claire had never forgotten, it was her first experience with a quiet mind.

 

As she thought back to her first encounter with a quiet mind, Steve came out quickly and tugged her arm to leave. She followed him down the hallway and into the elevator without saying a word.

“What’s going on?” She finally asked.

“What did you hear?” Steve countered.

“Nothing, Pierce’s mind is dead-silent.”

“That’s what I feared. I know he’s hiding something from me and I was hoping that you could get the information, but I should’ve known he would’ve figured out some way to block you. Has this happened to you before?” Steve asked.

“Only once and he was wearing a helmet especially designed to block mind-readers. And from your thoughts I saw that he definitely wasn’t wearing a helmet,” Claire sighed.

“Exactly.”

“Which means he does have some sort of technology capable of keeping me out. Meaning he knows I’m involved in this…” Claire said gravely.

“Don’t worry, Claire. I will keep you safe,” Steve said fiercely, his hands squeezing her shoulders comfortingly.

Their moment was interrupted by the elevator doors opening and none other than Brock Rumlow entering. Claire jumped away from Steve, to look uninvolved, innocent. Rumlows eyes roamed over Steve in his uniform and then quickly glanced over to Claire.

“Cap,” Rumlow remarked.

“Rumlow,” Steve said lowly.

“Evidence Response found some fibers on the roof they want us to see. You want me to get the Tac team ready?” Rumlow asked arrogantly. Steve only narrowed his eyes.

“Great, he’s got the mind-reader with him...two birds, one stone…” Rumlow thought to himself, his mind floating to thoughts of cuffing her and watching him kill the Captain in front of her.

“No, let's wait and see what it is first,” Steve responded, analyzing Brock’s posture, he was too rigid, too coiled, like a lion preparing to attack.

They had only went down one floor when the doors opened again and more, larger men poured into the elevator, effectively pressing Claire tighter against Steve, her body remained rigid in fear. She had to warn Steve, had to tell him what they had in store for him. But he already knew, nimbly tucking Claire behind him and looking at her intensely for a brief moment.

“Before we get started, would anyone like to get out?” Steve asked calmly. Then hell broke loose. Bodies were rioting and crashing into each other with force loud enough that it sounded like thunder. Claire tried to stay out of the way as much as possible, forcing herself to become smaller and smaller and tuck herself into the corner. Rumlow wasn’t a fan of that. While the other men attempted to wrestle Steve against the wall and cuff him with magnetic wristbands, Rumlow danced with Claire.

“Claire: the mind-reader, right?” Rumlow smirked. Claire was rigged, frightened, Brock’s thoughts were sinister and sadistic, picturing exactly how he was going to take her down. He then attempted to make his first swipe at her but underestimated just how much she heard, she ducked out of the way just into time that his body slammed into the glass of the elevator and missed her.

“Come here you bitch!” Brock shouted and brought his fist to nail her in the cheek. Taking what she learned from Clint, she moved her face a fraction so that Brock missed her and staggered, she took that opportunity to clip him in the ribs with her fist. Brock let out an angry huff and looked at her with menacing eyes.

“You’re gonna pay for that!” He said and started charging towards her, but was caught by Steve instead. During their scuffle, Claire hadn’t even noticed that Steve had single-handedly manage to neutralize all of the attackers in the elevator minus Brock. Although, he wasn’t even a match for Steve, falling to the ground after a very brief skirmish with Steve.  

“Did he hurt you?” Steve asked worriedly, looking over Claire’s body for any damage.

“I’m completely fine,” she said but saw the few cuts on Steve’s cheek, “but you aren’t.”

“It’s nothing. We have to figure a way out of here,” Steve said and then moved to open the elevator doors. Claire hadn’t even noticed that the elevator was brought to a stop at the beginning of the fight. He quickly shut the doors back after only opening it a few inches, Claire heard the thoughts of the swat team that was heading their way.

“Steve, we’re completely surrounded, there’s no way out of here,” Claire said gravely, picking through the minds of those in the building that had only one mission: take down that Captain at whatever means necessary, bonus points if you get the mind-reader as well.

Steve rejected her assessment and instead used his shield to clip the thick wires that were holding the elevator on that level and sent them crashing down a few floors. Steve then went to look out the glass of the elevator, analyzing the height of the fall and the damage he would take getting to the ground.

“We’re going to have to jump,” Steve thought, his eyes still sizing up the fall.

“No! No way!” Claire responded to Steve’s thoughts.

“We have to, it’s the only way out of here. I promised you I would keep you safe, didn’t I?” Claire didn’t respond, she just gulped at the sight of how high up they were.

“It’ll be a breeze. I’m going to break the glass with my shield, we will jump, you hold on tight to my side and we’ll go through the roof and I’ll break our fall with the shield.”

“Steve, that’s crazy you’re going to get hurt,” Claire said, nibbling nervously on her bottom lip.

“Nonsense, I will be fine. Come on, we have to go now,” Steve said urgently and broke the thick glass with his shield. He then hoisted himself on the bar and held his hand for Claire to grab. She secured himself on his side, digging her fingers into his uniform, finding any purchase to hold on. Steve looked at her comfortingly one last time and then jumped out.

They fell for only a few seconds before colliding with the glass and then hitting the ground with a hard crack. The force of impact sent Claire tumbling far away from Steve, her body rolling over the broken glass, coating her skin with tiny, painful cuts. Steve stayed in the fetal position on his shield for a few brief moments, trying to catch his breath after it was knocked out of him.

Claire was still stunned, her ribs hurt a little from colliding with Steve on impact and her skin on her back and arm felt like it was on fire. Steve recovered quickly and then went to help Claire up, mindful of the shocked faces of the SHIELD agents in the lobby. Steve asked her briefly in his head if she was alright and she merely nodded. They were then off running towards the parking garage where Steve had left his bike. Claire waited patiently for Steve to put the helmet on her and climb on.

“No way I’m taking you with me. They’re looking for me now. I’ll help you hotwire a car and I will meet you at the hospital. Go straight there and see if you can get a nurse to help you get the glass out of your skin,” Steve instructed.

“But Steve-”

“No. I’ll be fine, I will meet you there.” And with that he helped her hotwire a large pickup truck that Claire thought was ridiculous for her to drive. But right before he left he briefly looked into her eyes and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. He tasted like blood and sweat. 


	4. Let's All Go to the Mall (you might be sorry)

Claire walked into the emergency room with blood trickling down her back and a grimace cemented into her face. She walked up to the front desk and spoke gently, “hello, I had a little accident, I was wondering if I could get some assistance?”  
The nurse running the desk seemed alarmed by the amount of crimson splotches that decorated the white shirt Claire was wearing and quickly ushered her into a room. After a few moments of waiting an impatient-looking nurse helped her pull her ruined shirt off and picked all of the glass out of her left arm and back. Claire lost count of how many plink plink plink’s of glass came out of her flesh and hit the metal collection bowl. Although Claire was prepared with an elaborate story of falling through her backdoor. She didn’t need it, the bored nurse never asked. The nurse quickly slathered on an antibiotic ointment, applied stitches to those deep enough to require them, bandaged her up, and sent her away. Eventually Steve showed up, a bruise blooming on his jaw and a frustrated look in his eyes.

“The USB is missing,” he said bitterly, “I left it right behind the bubble gum in the vending machine and now it’s gone.” He looked like he was going to punch something.

“No it’s not. Natasha has it. And she’s looking for you, she wants to talk,” Claire said, picking up Natasha’s mind 2 floors above her.

“You are extremely useful,” Steve smiled.

“I try,” Claire said coyly and led Steve towards Natasha.

They found her popping pink bubblegum at them with a smirk on her face. Steve wasted no time pushing her into an empty exam room and barking questions at her. Claire followed them in there quietly, making sure no one saw them.

“Where is it?” Steve growled.

“Safe.”

“Do better,” Steve threatened.

“Where did you get it?” Natasha retorted.

“Why would I tell you?”

“Fury gave it to you, why?”

“What’s on it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Stop lying,” Steve yelled, pushing Natasha harder against the wall making Claire gasp. Steve broke his intense eye contact with Natasha to glance at Claire reassuringly. I’m sorry,  Steve thought to Claire, who jutted her chin towards Natasha, apologize to her.

“I only act like I know everything, Rogers,” Natasha struggled against his grip, so he loosened it slightly, to erase the worry that was etched into Claire’s face.

“I bet you knew Fury hired the pirates, didn’t you?”

“Well, it makes sense. The ship was dirty, Fury needed a way in, so do you.”

“I’m not gonna ask you again-”

Natasha cut him off, “I know who killed Fury.” Steve looked at her suspiciously and then to Claire who nodded at him to let her continue.

“Most of the intelligence community doesn’t believe he exists. The ones that do call him the Winter Soldier. He’s credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last 50 years.”

“So, he’s a ghost story?” Steve interrupted her.

“Five years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran. Somebody shot out my tires near Odessa. We lost control, went straight over a cliff. I pulled us out, but the Winter Soldier was there. I was covering my engineer so he shot him straight through me. Soviet slug. No rifling. Bye-bye bikinis,” Natasha smirked and lifted up her shirt to show them the shiny puckered skin of a scar that rested just next to her hip bone.

“Yeah, I bet you look terrible in them now,” Steve grumbled at her.

“Going after him is a dead-end,” Natasha said seriously and added, “I know, I’ve tried.”

“Like you said, he’s a ghost story. Well, let’s find out what the ghost wants.”

 

……

“I want you to stay in the car,” Steve said to Claire as they pulled into a parking spot at the mall.

“What? No way, you need me,” Claire countered.

“Not in there. As soon as I plug this in,” Natasha said, motioning to the USB, “they’re gonna find us. We need a getaway driver to be waiting for us,” she said with a warm smile. Claire sighed and then finally agreed, reading only the best intentions within their thoughts.

“We’ll be back as soon as possible,” Steve promised and then looked at Claire seriously for a moment before following Natasha.

“So you and Claire, huh?” Natasha asked when they were out of earshot.

“You know she can still hear you, right?”

“Yeah, but I want to know about this,” Natasha pressed.

“There is no this, it’s just-it’s nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing,” Natasha teased.

“Well maybe it’s not nothing, but it’s definitely none of your business,” Steve said quickening his pace through the crowded mall. He hated this mall. Sure, he had been here a few times at the insistence of his co-workers like Natasha and Clint, but he still didn’t get the novelty. He didn’t quite get why there were so many stores in just one building and why no matter what day or time it was, it was always busy. But he really didn’t get it because it was out of his time, something he would never understand like twitter or sweaters for dogs.

“Touchy. You must really like her,” Natasha smirked.

“I like her, but I don’t know, it’s not exactly easy for me to date. It’s kind of hard to find someone with shared-life experience. But Claire, she just gets it, she understands. I think it has a lot to do with her handy mind-reading skills, but I think it’s more than that too.”

“So you’ve thought about this a lot?”

“Ever since-” Steve started, considering his words. He was about to say ever since Bucky died, but he caught himself and restarted, “Ever since I woke up, it’s just been a little tough to come back. And after New York I was overwhelmed by everything. Brooklynn wasn’t my city anymore, so when Fury offered this job in D.C. I had to go, to get away. I met Claire shortly after I moved here and I don’t know, it was just nice. She didn’t throw herself at me like all of these other girls, she was just nice and she didn’t push me. Although I think I screwed it all up when I didn’t talk to her for a couple weeks after we kissed.”

“You kissed her and didn’t talk to her for a couple of weeks?” Natasha asked incredulously.

“I-I,” Steve stuttered looking for his excuse, “we were both busy.”

“Steve!” Natasha chastised him, “the poor girl! And here I was giving you shit for not asking girls out but you were just kissing them and ignoring them.”

“Just one! I’ve only been kissing Claire. Jeez Natasha, you’re making me sound like some sort of scum bag…”

“That was sort of a scummy move, Steve. But, it’s fine, she’s apparently forgiven you. And wait, speaking of, why is Claire involved in any of this at all?”

“She lives in my building and she sort of heard Fury’s assassination in the middle of my apartment.”

“Ah,” Natasha said and then pulled Steve into the Apple Store that she had been furiously looking for in-between getting the juicy details from Steve. Natasha plugged the USB into the first Macbook she saw and started working her magic.

“The drive has a Level Six homing program, so as soon as we boot up SHIELD will know exactly where we are.”

“How much time will we have?” Steve asked, looking over his shoulder for any agents.

“About nine minutes from now,” she answered and intently clacked her fingers against the keyboard. After a few moments she spoke again, “Fury was right about that ship. Somebody’s trying to hide something. This drive is protected by some sort of AI. It keeps rewriting itself to counter my commands.”

“Can you override it?”

“The person who developed this is slightly smarter than me,” she said and then added, “slightly.”

“I’m gonna try running a tracer. This is a program that SHIELD developed to track hostile malware, so if we can’t read the fire, maybe we can find out where it came from.”

“Can I help you guys with anything?” They were interrupted by a burly man with long blond hair and a matching blond beard.

“Oh no. My fiance was just just helping me with some honeymoon destinations,” Natasha gushed, even going so far to clap her hands around Steve’s shoulder affectionately.

“Right. We’re getting married,” Steve said uncomfortably, his thoughts flashing to Claire as a blush crept up his face, Natasha almost laughed. Almost.

“Congratulations! Where are you guys thinking about going?” The overly helpful Apple Genius asked.

Steve panicked and looked at the location screen and blurted, “New Jersey.”

“Oh,” he said and then narrowed his eyes at Steve like he recognized him. Steve shifted uncomfortably, quickly pondering an escape route before the Genius continued, “I have the exact same glasses.”

“Wow, you two are practically twins,” Natasha said blandly as Steve relaxed his posture. They were safe. For now.

“Yeah, I wish,” the Genius laughed and then gestured to Steve’s chest, “Specimen. Anyway, if you guys need anything, I’ve been Aaron.”

“Thank you.”

“You said nine minutes, come on,” Steve urged Natasha.

“Relax,” she brushed him off… “Got it.”

Steve narrowed his eyes at the coordinates, not believing that it was actually what he thought it was.

“You know it?”

“I used to. Let’s go,” Steve said and grabbed the USB from the machine. They exited the store quickly and thankfully Natasha didn’t bombard Steve with incessant questions about his dating life.

When they were on the escalator Natasha spotted Rumlow and quickly turned around to Steve and said, “kiss me.”

“What?” Steve asked, stunned.

“Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable.”

“Yes, they do,” Steve agreed but Natasha cut him off with her lips, pulling him tightly against her body, effectively making Rumlow look away from them. When they broke Natasha’s eyes danced but Steve was still stunned.

“Still uncomfortable?”

“It’s not exactly the word I’d use,” Steve said bitterly and immediately thought of Claire.

They made it back to the car without another incident requiring Natasha to invade Steve’s personal space. Claire was already waiting in the driver’s seat, ready to speed off it they needed it, but they were casual. Steve was still flushed from Natasha’s kiss and she still had a smirk on her face.

“Alright, that’s the location you need to go to,” Natasha said to Steve, handing him the scrap of paper with the coordinates on it.

“You’re not coming with us?” Claire asked disappointed.

“I’m afraid not. I have some other business to attend to. I think you two can handle this just fine without me,” Natasha said with a smirk and then headed off in the other direction.

“What was all of that about?” Claire asked as Steve got in the passenger seat.

“Natasha kissed me,” Steve blurted which only made Claire laugh hard.

“I know,” she giggled, to which Steve widened his eyes at.

“That’s right.”

“Mind-reader, remember?”

“Even from that far away?” Steve asked to which Claire only nodded as she pulled out of the parking garage and headed towards the freeway.

“100 miles is about how far away I can hear a mind.”

“That’s right. You told me this, I just-It’s still a little peculiar to me,” Steve said and then saw the drop in Claire’s face. He then added, “not in a bad way! Just- I’m still getting used to a lot of things about this time and about you…”

They stayed quiet for a little bit after that, only speaking when Steve gave her directions towards the coordinates. Eventually Steve couldn’t take it anymore, he had to say something about the conversation he had with Natasha that Claire had definitely overheard.

“Claire, I like you, I really do, but I’m rusty with this. It’s been a long time-”

She cut him off,  “Steve, I know. God do I know. I don’t have any expectations about this or us, I’m just happy to be here with you.”

The look on her face was so genuine and sweet it hurt Steve’s heart. Her bright blue eyes and her warm brown hair made his vision swim, he looked at her and he saw two people. He saw his friend, Bucky, his only friend, his whole world. And then he saw Claire, sweet, innocent, lovely Claire.

“I know you see him when you look at me,” Claire whispered, her eyes locked on the road.

“I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize, I definitely see the resemblance. But Steve, his ghost does not possess my body. I am not Bucky and I never will be.”

“I know that,” Steve muttered.

“And I like you Steve-God, I like you. But I can’t be with you if you see someone else every time you look at me.”

“It’s not every time,” Steve whispered, “I like you a lot too Claire, even if we don’t know each other that well. But I don’t know if I am in any position to start a relationship with you.”

“I know that. Like I said before, I’m just happy to be here,” Claire smiled at Steve.

“But that won’t always be enough.”

“Maybe not, but it’s enough for now. And hey, with the way things are going, maybe we’re only going to get now,” Claire joked.

“That’s not funny,” Steve said and then his thoughts floated to losing Claire, to not being able to look at her beautiful familiar face.

“Maybe I should turn these off for now,” Claire suggested and pointed to her aides.

“Yeah, maybe that’s for the best,” Steve agreed and then they finished the drive in silence.


End file.
